Wish You Were Here
by The Orgasmic Uke
Summary: I knew his mother meant the world to him. But I never expected our relationship to reach the point that he would bring me to meet her. Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Egbert. I'll take good care of your son. I promise. Humanstuck. Flesh Universe.


**I know it's a little early but hey, at least I did it. As always with JohnKat, I had an idea and I ran with it. This is based on the same universe as my story Flesh. You don't have to read that first but it'd be nice!**

**Happy Mother's Day.**

**Disclaimer: No ownage**

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The car was silent. If there was one thing I knew about John Egbert more than anything, it was that he was not a silent kind of guy. In fact, he scared me a little when he was silent. It meant he was thinking. And for John, thinking too much wasn't good for him. When he let his mind run, it liked to run to places it had no business going. He'd think up things that were not true and end up scaring himself. I knew that all too well.

But I didn't have the courage to speak. How could I? Not even an hour ago, John showed up at my apartment, dressed the same as usual in his vibrant blue but there was something off with his eyes. He gave me that beautiful smile and claimed he needed to take me somewhere important. Being the good boyfriend I liked to think I was, I didn't question him. John liked to play pranks for sure, but there was just something off with him that I couldn't figure out.

His smile was a little off. Though it still graced his lips when I glanced over to him in the driver's seat, I could see how strained it was. His bright eyes were hidden since they stayed focused on the road but the corner I could see looked a little blood-shot. Either he didn't sleep well or he had cried. That alone scared me. A dark puddle had formed in the bit of my stomach and I couldn't help but wonder if something bad was about to happen.

I stiffened in my seat, focused my eyes on the passing scenery and found my breath a little hard to catch. My mind rushed with plenty of different ideas that could happen. Things that John might be planning but I pushed them all down. I knew this man better than anyone. I dated this man for almost two years. I loved him with every fiber of my being and I knew he felt the same way. But he was still concerning me.

"John?" My voice was soft and my eyes stayed focused on the beautiful day outside the window.

"Hm?"

"Where are we going?"

"It's a secret."

I glanced over to see that smile on his lips grow just a bit more and the previous pain lift away. I let out a soft sigh and folded my arms over my chest. There was no point in pushing him. He wouldn't tell me anyway. So I opted to stare out the window while the radio played soft pop music in the background.

My attention was drawn to my surroundings once again when John slowed to a stop in front of a few shops. I glanced up, narrowing my eyes at the way he held his hand out to keep me where I was.

"I'll be right back." He unbuckled his seat-belt, gave my cheek a kiss and then he was out of the car, leaving it running as he made his way into what looked to be a florist.

I blinked a few times after him before sitting back in the seat, chewing on my lower lip. I wasn't found of not knowing what was going on and my patience was wearing a bit thin. But I'd learned a lot over the two years I'd been with John. The main thing was how to deal with him. If he wanted to be secretive, I had to allow him to do that. Because if I didn't, I'd ruin whatever he was planning and then he'd turn into this moody depressed nutcase that got on my nerves.

I took the time to notice my surroundings while John did whatever the fuck he was doing in the flower shop. We drove a good hour out of the city and into what looked to be a local town. The sun was bright and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the people of the town were enjoying it. I wasn't much for sun but hell, when you dated the biggest ball of sunshine in the fucking universe, you got used to it.

The driver's side door opened as John slipped inside, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He flashed me a smile before he twisted around to lay the flowers neatly on the back seat. I could only raise a questioning eyebrow at him that was easily ignored. The flowers were a beautiful blue and damned if I knew what kind they were. John buckled himself up and then we were off again.

I was confused. damn confused. I ransacked my brain for any reason I could think of. He bought flowers but for what? He didn't hand them to me, so were they not for me? If not for me, then for who? A flash of jealousy ran over my skin that I quickly pushed down. Two years with this man had changed me. That much was obvious. I was less quick to overreact but I was still uncomfortable.

"We're almost there." John spoke softly, taking one hand off the wheel to reach over to me. I didn't fight it when his hand grabbed mine that was tucked into my arms and brought it between us so he could hold it. I let my fingers curl with his as I focused on him once again. Whatever oddness I felt before was gone. The tenseness in his smile was gone and John looked just as happy and beautiful as ever.

But that didn't stop the dread from surging up in my stomach. Dating John for close to two years had taught me a lot about the male. I knew to never discount any expression he ever made. The dork wore his heart on his sleeve and every emotion he felt on his face. So I wasn't sure how to take what was happening. He seemed happy and that smile was genuine but the stiffness from before was not something to shove under a rug. I could always tell when he was up to something and he was definitely up to something.

All thoughts skidded to a halt when John pulled into the driveway of a vast and rather large cemetery. I blinked a few times, looking from side to side before he pulled the car off to the side and parked on the black pavement. I sat still, my heart pounding, my breath impossible to find as he turned off the car and unbuckled his seat-belt.

"Karkat?" His voice was soft, with a hint of concern in it as he grasped my hand and brought it to his lips. I felt those soft warm lips press against my darker skin and used every ounce of control I had to just _look_ at him. He had that same dorky smile I'd come to love but it twitched slightly. His eyes were bright but narrowed just so. He was nervous. Why was he nervous?

"John. Why are we at a cemetery?"

He glanced away for a second before meeting my eyes again. "I want you to meet my mother." He mumbled against my hand before releasing it and stepped out of the car.

I was stunned. Completely stunned. Now, I knew plenty enough about John's mother. I knew she died in a tragic car accident when he was eleven that almost took his life as well. I knew she meant everything to him. I knew that even though he loved Daddy Egbert, his mother had been his best friend. I also knew he never liked to talk about her. I knew what she meant to him and I also knew what this meant. Fucking romantic.

Because Dave had made it pretty damn obvious after we got over our loathing of each other that John's mother had been his world. The douche told me that if John were to _ever_ take me to meet her, than it was serious. Beyond serious. Like fucking forever serious. He also told me that a week ago which meant... The fucker knew. He knew this was going to happen and he didn't warn me. Dickspitting cuntwaffle.

My breath caught in my throat as John opened my door and held his hand out for me. "This is okay, right? I didn't..." He bent down, resting his arm on the door as he peered into the car at me. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Consider me thoroughly fucking surprised." I managed to speak, taking his hand so he could help me out of the car. A look of concern clouded his features and for a split second I realized I still wasn't as good of a boyfriend as I tried to be. "Don't." I shut the car door with my hip as I reached up to cup his face between my hands. "I'm honored okay. Seriously."

Those gorgeous blue orbs searched mine for a moment longer before a smile split across his face and he leaned down to kiss me softly. The kiss lingered for just a few seconds before John pulled away, twisted his hand into mine and then tugged me along after him.

My eyes scanned over the many headstone as we walked down a stone pathway. Names etched in stone reminded me of something I never liked to think about. My own parents death. Kankri was all I had. I never thought about it much because death was a thing that happened no matter what. I never knew my parents. They died when I was too young to remember but Kankri remembered. He visited them often. I didn't.

The walk was quiet. John's hand was tight in my own as I walked as close to him as possible. I knew this wasn't easy for him. He visited his mother's grave as often as possible which wasn't as often as he would have liked. I didn't even know what to say or even think. We were going to visit a dead body. His mother was long gone but to John the grave still held some type of significance. I never understood it. I never understood why Kankri went and I didn't understand why John did. But it was his business and I never questioned him for it. It was a sensitive subject after all.

I may not have understood why I was being taken to a rotten corpse but I understood the significance behind it. John needed something solid to hold on to. I got that. Bringing me here to "meet his mother" was a huge step for him. A step that proved to me John was serious about us. I'd always known he was but this was a new step in our relationship. A huge one.

I glanced up when we came to a stop. I glanced around before my eyes landed on the headstone we'd come to a stop before. John's hand was tight in my own but there was a soft smile on his face as he gazed down at his mother's headstone. Jennifer Lynn Egbert was etched into the stone along with the dates of her life. There was some quote I couldn't quite read because I was too focused on the picture above her name. I leaned forward slightly, narrowing my eyes against the sun to try to get a better look.

She was beautiful. The picture wasn't too old, probably the most recent the Egberts had of her and she had been beautiful. I'd never seen a picture of his mother. I'd always wondered but I never had the heart to ask him or Daddy Egbert. John had seen my parents because I had no reason not to show him but this... was so different.

He looked just like her. Spitting image really. The hair, the eyes, the lips, the nose, the smile... He had his father's bone structure but everything else was his mother.

"Hi mom!" His voice startled me out of my thoughts and I watched with slightly widened eyes as John pulled away from me to approach the headstone. He patted the top of it with a smile on his face. "I'm sorry it's been a while since I've come to see you but you know, work and stuff." He chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair before he turned back to me. "I brought someone." He moved back over to me, slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. "Mom, this is Karkat! The guy I told you about."

I blinked, glancing between the stone and John. How the hell was I supposed to act? There wasn't anyone actually _there_. But this was for John. So I forced a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "You told her about me, huh?"

He flushed slightly, his smile remaining as he plopped a kiss against my hair. "Of course I did!" He blinked before his eyes widened. "Crap. I forgot the flowers." He pulled away from me, turning back toward the car a good distance away. "Wait here, I'll be right back!" And then he was running off back toward the car.

I sighed softly, biting my lower lip as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my dark hoodie. It was warm out but the wind was cool making it a rather nice day. It was a beautiful May morning. I glanced back the way John had left. It took about five minutes to walk here. Which meant I probably had about ten minutes before he returned. I took a deep breath, chiding myself slightly for what I was about to do.

"Alright." I hissed softly, stepping forward till I was within reach of the stone. Shaking slightly, I placed both of my hands on the stone as I knelt, peering into the picture that was covered in glass. "Look, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm probably just fucking talking to myself like a thinkpanless douchemuffin." I bit my lip, hanging my head slightly as my fingers dug into the hard uneven stone. "But if John can do it, so can I. Because hell if I know what happens after we die. You could be listening. Who fucking knows."

I took a deep breath, glancing down the empty path before focusing on the picture once again. "So if you are listening... I just, I want you to know, He's in good hands. I admit I'm probably not the best person for him. He probably deserves a hell of a lot better than me but I'm not going anywhere. John... He... He's everything to me. I can't even explain it. I've never felt this way about someone and I don't ever want to again. I love your son, Mrs. Egbert. More than I could ever explain. And I will do everything within my power to take care of him. I may fuck it up sometimes but I will always make it up to him. That I can promise you."

I exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of calm come over me. "Your son's a dork. But I love him more than words could ever explain and right now..." I laughed softly, shaking my head as I closed my eyes. "I just want to kiss the snot out of him because he brought me here. It's an honor to meet you. I know he wishes you were here. I... I wish you were too." I rubbed my hand over the uneven stone for a moment, taking a deep breath to ease my heavy heart. "Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Egbert."

I sat there a moment longer, my eyes closed as I took in the scent of freshly cut grass and the feel of the wind. And then I felt it. A strange sense of warmth. Like someone was hugging me. I opened my eyes, glancing around before they landed on the picture. A shiver ran over my skin so I hugged myself a little closer, narrowing my eyes slightly at the picture on the headstone. The wind blew at an odd angle suddenly; through my hair and I shivered at the familiar feeling of fingers running through my hair. My heart leapt to my throat and I snapped my head to the sky.

"Are you...?"

I snapped my head to the side at the sound of footsteps. John was coming back with those flowers in his hands and a smile on his face. I swallowed hard and moved to my feet, brushing the dirt from my jeans as I took a step back to meet him. The dork had this knowing smile on his face that I promptly ignored. He bent down to place a kiss to my lips before he moved to place the flowers in the vase attached to the headstone.

"Happy Mother's Day, mom." His voice wavered so I stepped up beside him and took his hand in mine. It was hard for him. I knew that. I linked my fingers with his and gave them a reassuring squeeze that he seemed to appreciate. "I wish you were here." I bit my lip, nuzzling my head against his shoulder in some form of comfort. Eleven years and he still wasn't over it. He never would be. All I could do was be there for him. "Karkat?" He pondered aloud softly, turning to nuzzle against my hair.

"Mm?"

"Can I... Um."

I glanced up at him, tilting my head slightly. "You want to be alone."

"Just for a minute." He gave me a sympathetic smile.

I patted his arm, squeezed his hand tightly and leaned up to kiss him softly. "I'll head back to the car." I released but before leaving I bowed my head slightly to his mother. "It was nice meeting you." I could tell by the smile on John's face that he appreciated my effort. I gave him a wave before turning away to head back down the path.

I loved the dork but I wasn't sure how to handle him crying. It wasn't something he did often. In fact, I'd only seen him do it once. I didn't know how to handle it then and I certainly didn't know how to handle it now. All I could do was hold him and that was enough for him back then but I still felt useless. I really was a shitty boyfriend...

About halfway back to the car, I felt the urge to turn around. So I did and I was left breathless. John was kneeling at the headstone much like I had been, his arms folded an his head buried in them. He was crying. I knew that. But what took my breath away was the flash of a figure. White, long and flowing with crystal blue eyes, hovering over the stone and leaning over John. The image was gone when I blinked and I was left a little stunned. She... It couldn't have been... Could it?

I swallowed hard and spun on my heels, marching back toward John. I winced when the sounds of his soft sobs reached me but I didn't stop. I plopped down beside him in the grass and wrapped both arms around him. He didn't even flinch at my touch. He just leaned into my embrace and let himself cry. There wasn't anything I could say so I just held him and gave his back soft soothing circles.

I didn't know the pain of losing a parent even though I had lost both of mine. John and I were different. So vastly different it was surprising to almost everyone who knew us that we worked and lasted as long as we had. Two years were a long time to spend with someone and I intended to spend even longer with him.

"Thanks, Karkat." John said with a soft sniffle after he finally calmed down. He pulled away from the headstone to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. I returned his tight hug, rubbing his back while my other hand ruffled his hair slightly. "I love you." He nuzzled his face against my shoulder and I didn't even care if he got snot on my hoodie.

"And I love you." I rubbed my cheek against his hair. "How about we go to brunch, hm? In honor of your mother?"

I felt John laugh softly more than I heard it. He planted a soft kiss to my neck that left chills before he pulled back to meet my eyes. "Yea, let's do that. Let's invite Dad."

I nodded. "Maybe you can tell me more? About her?"

Something in John's eyes made my heart melt. "I'd love that."

I gave him a soft smile before we both moved to our feet. We said our goodbyes to his mother before heading back down the path, hand in hand. I took the chance to glance back over my shoulder when we were about halfway toward the car. I wasn't surprised by the figure I saw this time. Those crystal blue eyes and that smile. I bit my lip and returned that smile before looking forward once again, heading back to the car with the man I loved.

_I know you'll take good care of him._

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**I'm surprised I did this to be completely honest with you.** **But the idea struck me and I just ran with it. I'm happy with it. How doesn't love a little JohnKat fluffy emotional times. Idk man. **

**Thanks for reading. **

**~Addy~**


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